Future of Lotus

[Bibs]

On 25/10/2018 at 04:20, NedaSay said:

 I would not be surprised in the least to hear that Lotus Engineering could reopen its Chinese office before soon

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA4NTc2NjMzOQ==&mid=2652053459&idx=3&sn=23fc2562837719368c062c753fd9e41d&chksm=8435467fb342cf69e7c30c0ca5f193992175866108665c6cbfb04a0f24437c01e86e5a85ecdd&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=1024FByYA2HNi0tfeCQosQvs#rd

[NedaSay]

I love the Waldorf Astoria on the bund ... I love that hotel, brings back memories. Gosh why did i not go into engineering or applied science! Why?! 

Quote

Light is right
Born for racing 
Seventy years
We are ready for revival

Born for racing... I'm still expecting for the formal announcement of their return to the motorsport arena. The new boss has been very quiet, he's been in office for less than a month off course, still very quiet  

And it appears that Lotus Engineering is not only getting an engineering center but Group Lotus is also getting an R&D centre, both Ningbo and Hangzhou, both burbs are south of Shanghai. Feng Quifeng is gearing up for an all out war it seems!

http://autonews.gasgoo.com/china_news/70015301.html

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by NedaSay

[C8RKH]

I am concerned at the many references to luxury equipment and luxury cars.  I really do hope Lotus is not gearing up to  just become another luxo sports GT barge maker like Maserati, Bentley, Aston Martin and to a large extent Porsche etc. trading on their motorsport legacy to guve that essential brand aura.

Light, agile, driver focused sports cars do not need electric willy wavers and the plethora of other automated luxury tools  and distractions to be the real drivers machinery that Lotus Cars have always been.

Here's hoping they get the positioning right - but I recognise I might be in the minority here.

 

[Bravo73]

Unfortunately, you only have to look at the number of ‘lightweight, sports cars’ that are sold versus the number of ‘luxo sports GT barges’. The market has spoken, I’m afraid. 

[NedaSay]

Talking about lightweight sport cars, is anybody beside me surprised not to have seen any tidbit of patent design from the incoming two new sport cars that are scheduled to come in less than a year and a half now? I mean we've had the SUV renderings and design out for  a while because they probably needed to gauge reactions to it. But not a  single leak on the sport cars, by now when the designs should be at  the patent office... I'm impressed    

[Bee]

If a plethora of Lotus SUVs and a couple of sporty luxo-barges mean we get an assortment of incredible new 'proper' Lotus sports cars, I can live with that. And if those 'proper' sports cars are cool and modern inside, with the tech, for those who want it, all nicely integrated so that it doesn't detract from the driving experience, I can live with that too. I think we've all always known that Lotus was never going to achieve the numbers required for it to begin to make cars like a new Esprit until they strongly appeal to demographics, who - at the moment - would not currently entertain the thought of buying a Lotus.

I do one hundred percent understand concerns about Lotus's core values being diluted but if the new 'proper' sports cars truly deliver, Lotus can only go from strength to strength, as a brand.

[C8RKH]

Agreed @Bee but that is a big IF.

As has been said before I think the current cars are the last of the true great analog drivers cars.

[electro_boy]

I get that but it’s a digital world now. Don’t get me wrong analog is great and has that amazing raw feel about it. But digital is king now and Lotus needs to move with the times.

That doesn’t mean putting a 50”screen and surround sound in a car, it means embracing the latest technologies that make cars faster and handle better.

In my opinion Lotus have always done that. Implemented new technology to make their cars better sports cars than the competition. Yes they sacrificed some of the creature comforts to get those features in but the sports car side of things was brimming with great engineering and new tech.

Im ok with SUV and luxury GT cars helping to pay the bills if that’s what’s needed but please please keep one or two models in similar vein to the current Lotus way of thinking. It’s a nervous wait to see which direction the company moves in over the next few years but fingers crossed there are still models that appeal to us. 

[Spinney]

Oh I do so hope that the snippet of info I've heard about what Lotus are considering for the Esprit actually happens. I think it will surprise (or shock) everybody - in a good way.😄

Before anybody asks, I'm not letting on! 😉

[Jeanvm]

In a good sharp wedgy way?

[NedaSay]

On 27/10/2018 at 14:37, Spinney said:

Oh I do so hope that the snippet of info I've heard about what Lotus are considering for the Esprit actually happens. I think it will surprise (or shock) everybody - in a good way.😄

Before anybody asks, I'm not letting on! 😉

Now that's teasing.

[KAS-118]

Focusing on China for key growth (which I guess makes sense):

https://www.marketing-interactive.com/lotus-cars-revs-up-business-strategy-vision-with-lynxeye/

https://www.campaignasia.com/article/lotus-plots-global-repositioning-steer-toward-china/448044

[mdavies]

Can't make quote work, my ignorance I expect, but re the above market focus, would there be a clue in the recent BBC report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45989908

That word "luxury" still featuring. Oh, dear.

[Spinney]

On 28/10/2018 at 18:38, NedaSay said:

Now that's teasing.

Yes it is isn’t it. 🤫😉 I may be quite wrong, of course, but the snippet did come from a very reliable inside source and if it proves to be the case, could tempt me out of my GT410. Only time will tell. 😄

[C8RKH]

As you all know I am usually very skeptical re Lotus future positioning, however, in the links from @KAS-118 above the following extract actually gave me some incredible optimism that Geely does indeed value the Lotus heritage and will build on it. Also, the branding guys are the same that they used for Volvo, so they will have little latency in working with Geely and they have actually done a great job with Volvo and the new Volvo products.

I predict that we will see two product streams - one driver focused based on the motorsport heritage and one more GT/Lux focused playing on the Motorsport / legacy.

I hope!

"Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus Cars said, “Lotus is an iconic brand that has become part of the lexicon of racing and performance sports cars throughout our history.” He added that the brand is now looking to build on its legacy and expand the appeal of the Lotus brand.

According to Peter Horbury, head of design for Geely, Lotus’ parent company, it believes Lynxeye is the best partner to help them achieve the goal of being a leading global luxury brand. The agency previously worked with Geely to reposition Volvo, which led to “amazing commercial results” Horbury said."

[DarrylV8]

On 30/10/2018 at 22:54, Spinney said:

Yes it is isn’t it. 🤫😉 I may be quite wrong, of course, but the snippet did come from a very reliable inside source and if it proves to be the case, could tempt me out of my GT410. Only time will tell. 😄

If the GT430 wasn’t your preferred option before opting for the GT410, not sure how the new super/hypercar will manage to?

[Spinney]

2 hours ago, DarrylV8 said:

If the GT430 wasn’t your preferred option before opting for the GT410, not sure how the new super/hypercar will manage to?

The GT430 isn’t sufficiently different to the GT410 to warrant the additional cost, in my view. A new Esprit, however, if it turns out anything like I’ve been told................... 

[C8RKH]

More out of the bag......

[Suddabym]

Bring Dany back, I say. Yes, I’m down the pub, but that’s not the point, dammit.  Without Dany’s unique premium elan and elite luxury extra lifestyle ability to burn through cash and travel about in a helicopter we’re never going to get the Esprit that I deserve; chiselled from gold and swaddled in seal skin with ivory dials.  Only Dany can make this happen. Only Dany lacks the moral certitude to worry about the “liberal press” and their bourgeois views.  Volvo are rubbish at making exploding cars.  I mean literally.  When was the last time you heard of a Volvo sliding down the M4 on its roof while on fire?  I rest my case. 

Come on people, wake up!  Am I the only one here who can see this?

[DarrylV8]

9 hours ago, Spinney said:

The GT430 isn’t sufficiently different to the GT410 to warrant the additional cost, in my view. A new Esprit, however, if it turns out anything like I’ve been told................... 

Bit of difference in price for the new supercar compared to GT410 

[Spinney]

That may be so but unlike the 430, it won’t be anything like the 410. Cost isn’t the issue for me here so if I like what I see in the new car, I will most likely go for it. 

With the 410 purchase, I just couldn’t see the sense in paying another £15k or so for a car that to me doesn’t seem very much different. Some might argue the 410 isn’t so very different to the 400, so why pay more for that? Again that may well be true, but I happen to prefer the 430 style front end so, for me, there was no contest when choosing between the two. 

I completely understand my choices may not make much sense to you, nor others, but who ever said buying any car of this type was sensible? 😉

 

[C8RKH]

On 02/11/2018 at 07:04, Spinney said:

but who ever said buying any car of this type was sensible?

Not my missus and that's for sure and she has no idea even now how much I spent on MY 410.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

What will Hethel be making for the next 3 years? I reckon the current line-up of models (Elise/Exige/Evora) will soldier on that long in some form or other, before they tool up for a clean-sweep of new models . I can't see them making/selling more than 2000 cars per year at Hethel during that time, so things will remain pretty much the same for the time-being. What do you think?

[NedaSay]

Same same not different, but maybe just maybe the Exige production may come to an end by the end of 2019 beginning of 2020. Evora and Elise to continue with product upgrades, possibly phasing out the Toyota engines for their Geely's counterparts if a business case can be made proving it will cost less.

[Bee]

8 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

What will Hethel be making for the next 3 years? I reckon the current line-up of models (Elise/Exige/Evora) will soldier on that long in some form or other, before they tool up for a clean-sweep of new models . I can't see them making/selling more than 2000 cars per year at Hethel during that time, so things will remain pretty much the same for the time-being. What do you think?

I agree; in fact, I think there's a definite danger of things starting to look and feel a little stale unless they begin to drip feed details of what's to come. I appreciate that's a balancing act, however, as Lotus will not want current potential customers to think, 'That looks incredible - I'll wait for that!' Lotus may well suffer in the sales department, for a while, until the 'next generation' start arriving.  I hope I'm wrong about that but unless there are some substantial upgrades on the way it looks like there will be a calm before the media/sales storm to come.

 

Evora Roadster anyone? I know, I know - it's never going to happen; I need to get over it! 😭